The score was 5-0 at the start.
The players of Ryonan were elated.It was an excellent beginning.At least they had made their opponents pay for underestimating them.
However, when they saw Taoka sitting on the bench with a stern expression, they knew their coach wasn't satisfied with the current score.Before the game, Taoka had made it clear: "We must beat Luoan."
Luoan launched their offense.Hideki Aida pushed forward with the ball.Almost two minutes into the game, and they still hadn't scored.
The pressure weighed heavily on Hideki.As the team's point guard, he was always the focal point of the offense.But Ryonan's defense was flawless, leaving him struggling to find any good openings.
Just as frustration was about to overwhelm him, he noticed something:Akihiro Takai, on the left side near the three-point line, sprinting and signaling for the ball.
Hideki quickly found a passing lane and delivered the ball to Takai.As Luoan's ace, Takai had to have a solution.
Upon receiving the ball, Takai immediately launched his attack.He dribbled in wide, sweeping motions from side to side, mixing in deceptive feints.
This was his signature move: the lateral swing.He rarely used it, saving it for when facing tough opponents.
His move worked instantly. Even Sendoh struggled to keep up defensively.
Suddenly, Sendoh got distracted for a moment, and Takai seized the chance, breaking through from his right side.
Ikegami, closer to the basket, abandoned his defense on Takahashi Shin to try and stop Takai.
Ikegami had expected Takai to pass—the open Takahashi was an easy option.
But Takai didn't even glance at Takahashi. He dribbled straight toward Ikegami.
Seeing this, Ikegami snapped angrily, "How disrespectful!"
He leapt to block Takai's dunk, but something was off.
Although their heights were nearly identical—Ikegami at 183 cm and Takai at 184 cm—Ikegami couldn't reach the ball no matter how hard he tried.
Takai sneered coldly and dunked the ball one-handed right over Ikegami's head.
"Beautiful! Captain just dunked over that guy!""The captain is unstoppable! He shattered Ryonan's defense all on his own!""So dominant! Two goals on the board, and you know how fierce they are!"
After scoring, Takai ignored Ikegami, still on the floor, and turned to glare at the rest of Ryonan's players on the court.
"From now on, it's time to fight back," he declared firmly.
His arrogance rubbed Ryonan's players the wrong way.They thought it was too soon to be so cocky—after all, they were still leading.
But on the sidelines, Taoka Moichi wasn't as confident.
Takai was the star player of a national-level team.They couldn't afford to underestimate him.
Unless someone stepped up to challenge his arrogance...
Kenichi Uesugi approached Ikegami, who was sitting on the floor.He helped him to his feet, patting his shoulder reassuringly.
—Are you okay? —Kenichi asked with a comforting smile.
—Yeah, but I'm really pissed off, —Ikegami replied, teeth clenched.
Being dunked on like that stings.No one wants to be the constant punching bag.
Before, being Kenichi Uesugi's teammate meant fewer taboos.But now, humiliated by Takai Akihiro, Ikegami felt a growing unease inside.